Shadow or Substance

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
- Paul the Apostle, Colossians 2:16, 17

"I am the bread of life."
- Jesus the Messiah, John 6:48

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
- Jesus the Son of God, John7:37, 38

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
- Jesus of Nazareth, John 8:12b

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There are many things written in scripture to symbolize or liken Jesus too. In the Old Testament and in the New Testament there are words spoken to signify who He, Jesus, is. But neither symbol nor word is Jesus Himself. He IS the Word of God, the Word that became flesh and lived among us. Or as Eugene Peterson's Message Version of the Bible says, "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." - John 1:14

There is a CD entitled 365 names of God by John Paul Jackson, in which he reads, to music, 365 names for God. He is all these things, but more than that he is God. I don't know if this is making sense what I'm saying or even why? It would seem that most would agree with what I'm saying and not even really be sure if there is any issue of concern in the matter.

What is the matter any ways? For me, it is the matter of a difference between shadow and substance.

Let me expound.

Shadows

In the Old Testament the first "shadows" we see of Jesus Christ Himself is in the Garden of Eden shortly after the fall. It could be in that Adam and Eve "hid" from the presence of among the "trees" of the garden? For this is what sin causes us to do, hide from the presence of God. Yet through Jesus dying on the cross (hung on a tree literally) we are no longer hidden in our sins but we are now "hidden with Christ". Another mention is in, "He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel". The "heel" of Jesus bruised in His death on the cross, but the bruise of his "head" is that of the defeat of the power of the law, sin and death, and ultimately Satan himself. And again in that Adam and Eve covered their "nakedness" with fig leaves, but God would cover them instead with the skin of an animal (Gen 3:21). Leviticus says that "without the shedding of blood (animal sacrifice) there can be no remission of sin".

From there until the book of Malachi the scriptures are littered with these "shadows" of who Jesus Christ is. The calling of the great patriarchs of Judaism (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, etc...), even the Law itself, the Tabernacle, the Temple and the worship practices to take place in it. Every article in the Tabernacle and Temple was a symbol of who Jesus Christ is.

But as with any shadow to exist there must be a substance in light reflects off. The sun in the sky, the extension of your hand and the shadow on the ground. The Holy Spirit is the son-light that reflects on the Person of Jesus Christ and the result is the shadow we read about in Scripture.

But the shadow is NOT the substance

Jesus is the substance of every type, symbol and word spoken in the Bible. Jesus is the "rest" that the Sabbath could never bring. Jesus the the "fullness" of God that the manna in the wilderness could never sustain in us. Jesus is the life that the water flowing from the rock within is (our hearts) was symbolized in the desert years for Israel. He is the Tabernacle (the dwelling of God) the Temple (the House of God) the Ark, the Mercy seat, the blood atonement, the Menorah, the Table of Showbread, The Incense, the Bronze Altar, the Breastplate on the Priests, the High Priest, the Veil, the Door, the Gate, (this isn't a comprehensive list of all the items of worship) whatever you can put the word "the" in front of in the descriptions in the scripture of all that is Holy; Jesus is.

No wonder Paul would say to the church in Colosse, don't get so wrapped up in to earthly things, food, drink, festivals, etc...because they are only the shadows of the substance; Jesus. It would be ridiculous to order food from a menu but settle with eating the menu itself. But we can do this with even the most holy of things in Christianity; church, music, even the Bible! Sundays, the Spiritual gifts, manifestations of the Spirit, miracles and signs and wonders, all the stuff that is the result of the Presence of the Person of Jesus, but are Not Jesus Himself.

Do you see what I'm saying? It is possilbe that we stop just short of Jesus Himself because we get too focused on the "stuff" that comes from Him or happens when He is present. It doesn't make those "things" bad or un-holy; indeed they are not for they are of Him. But they are NOT Him. And this is the point.

Substance

Jesus. Only Jesus is the substance of Jesus. Not the shadow of Jesus. Jesus. So if someone comes to you, a brother or sister and they bring something of great value and it is of Jesus, that has a place. But not higher than Jesus Himself. Fellowship is a great "thing". But fellowship with Jesus is the substance. "Worship" is a great thing. We say this all the time, "I love worship". What we mean I believe is that we love to worship "Jesus". I know that, so that is what I take it to be from those that say it. At least I hope it is. I love to study the word. But knowing the Word, as Holy as the Word is, can fill me up with pride if I am not coming to a personal knowledge and intimate encounter of the Holy One; Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit and the manifestations of the Spirit are wonderful! I expect them because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit in my life the way a farmer expects fruit from his fruit trees. But the "gift" and the "manifestation" is not the Holy Spirit Himself.

In our walks with Christ this can be of huge consequence if we are not careful. For we can go and do so many "things" in the name of Jesus Christ, but in the end of all things we can be un-known to Him. Wow! So close yet so far away. We could have our lamps and wicks trimmed, but not have the "oil" to fill and light them.

It should be that in all of our "being" together, relating to each other and what we have to give to one another, that we recognize the differences between shadows and the substance. For if we do not and we focus on the shadows we will inevitably be divided from one another. But when we focus on the substance, Jesus, we are untied and find the peace that exists only in Jesus Christ Himself. God did not send the World His only begotten Son so that we would settle for anything less. So why do we?

Why do we settle for the shadow when the substance is right there in-front it?

A Prayer

Father,

I love and adore You. I love Your Son Jesus. Jesus I love You. I love Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit I love You. I love Your people, the body, the church. I love them and pray for them today. I ask You Father to reveal Yourself in greater measure to those who are not seeing You in areas of their lives. Show them Jesus. Bring revelation and wisdom to lift them and bring them to the heavenly place You have for them in Jesus Christ. I pray that the eyes of their hearts would be opened with understanding by the light of the Spirit that they would know what is the hope of Your calling, and what the true riches of the glory of Your inheritance in the saints is, that they would know the exceeding greatness of Your power toward those who believe is, according to the mighty working of Your power which You worked in Jesus Christ when You raised Him from the dead and when You seated Jesus at Your right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. I pray that Your people will not stop short of Jesus. I pray that they would go all the way to Him. I pray we would mature in our ability to see and hear the difference, and in our hearts never settle for any less than Jesus Himself. I pray that we would develop spiritual appetites for the real food and drink and treasure of life; Jesus. You have chosen Him therefore we chose Him, Jesus.

May the World choose Him too.

In Jesus Christ Name I ask and pray and thank You.

Tim

Ingredients & Measure

So for this Valentine's Day I decided to "speak" the love language that my wife Gina speaks the most to people she loves; food. She has a gift for preparing, presenting and downright enjoying a great meal with friends. It's one of the ways she communicates and receives love. I had the idea to make something for her so that she would experience what others do by her taking the time it takes to plan the meal, buy the ingredients, prepare the items, cook them at the right time and in the right order so that every item of the meal comes together hot, not undercooked or over cooked, but perfectly! Not to mention she makes it look so effortless...like a pro!

Me on the other-hand, I can barely make cereal or toast! But be that as it may, I decided to cook her a Valentines meal with the help of my boys. I settled on steak (really though, this meal was for her, I just shared in the benefits). Well you just can't grill up a slab of meat and serve it up as a meal exactly now can you? So what else can I put along-side such a fine cut as a rib-eye? Salad. Yes. Ceasar. Vegetables. Yes. Asparagus & broccoli. Perfect! What else? Oh almost forgot! Appetizers! Ok, so crackers, cheese-spread, anti-pasta plate with olives, marinated peppers, salami-slices, prosciutto-mozzarella roll. Perfect! A glass of Chardonnay before the meal and a glass of red with the meal! Perfect!

Oh my gosh! I have to go buy all of this now! With the boys? At the grocery store? What have I gotten myself into! No turning back now, let's go! Upon returning from the store it's time to prep the food. The boys set the table, music on the stereo, praying all the way through for help, we finally got everything together and ready to serve. Appetizers first, meantime get the grill hot and ready, in and out of the back door between grill and oven, the boys had already made the brownies for dessert later and it seems like everything is going relatively smooth. Well, that was until I looked closely at the ingredients for the glaze I was about to make for the topping on the steak.

It was measured for six to eight steaks; I had two!

It seemed like everything was about to fall apart! Remember, I'm a guy. I need it to be idiot proof! Exact directions with exact measurements, times, temperature etc...what do I do now? Then it hits me; "the ingredients are the same, the measure is the only difference". Ok! I can do this! Everything resumes and we're back on track! Pull the meat off the grill, tent with foil (Gina taught me that too), plate the veggies, drizzle the glaze over steaks, pour the red wine, boys call Gina down to the table and we sat and enjoyed a Valentine's Day meal together. We were able to give to her what she gives to us and so many. Love via food.

THE INGREDIENTS ARE THE SAME - THE MEASURE IS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE Over the next couple of days I began to hear the Holy Spirit bring this back up to me in a couple different ways. I see this in scripture and in the world around me. But one place I want to focus in on in this letter is where I see it in the Church. Yes, the Church. For four years now theRoots has been an official "entity". A Church. Some would struggle to see it as a church because they don't see some of the key "ingredients" they expect to see when looking at a "church". There's no building to begin with. No church offices with front office receptionist. No pastoral offices because there really isn't an official "staff". No children's playground or program. No youth ministry wing or youth ministry program. No parking lot, ushers, greeters, church bulletins, or tithe baskets. There's a post office box and a web-site. Once a month there is a gathering at our house of about 30-80 people depending on the weather and what the sport-season at the time is. Yet in some strange way there is an undeniable reality that a "church" people refer to as "theRoots church" does exist. But where is it? What does is look like? How does it work? What do these people who call their "church" theRoots do the other 29-30 days of the month?

It all begins with the ingredients. Jesus is King of Kings. And yet the Kingdom is with Him. He brought the Kingdom with Him and then placed it within us. Jesus is the Head of the Church; His people. And wherever two-or-more are gathered He is there with them in the midst. He is the Head, presiding over the gathering or two or two-thousand. He directs their movement through the Holy Spirit in them, upon them and with them. And it is this very thing that makes the ingredients the same but the measure different. He uses His Word, His Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. He uses whatever He desires to use in order to direct His church. Mostly, He uses love. As we read through the New Testament we see that there are times, especially in the book of Acts, that there seemed to be a very large multitude of people gathered in one place as something significant happened or happening. Brings to mind the Day of Pentecost, or after Peter's message in response to the Holy Spirit's baptism that day of about 120 people. It happened multiple times as Jesus walked throughout Israel and healed people, did miracles and taught them of the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet when it comes down to it we see the "life" of the Church not just in activity but in relationship. Specifically in relationship to God and to others. The life of the Church is not carried on the activities people alone. It is carried in the people themselves. In the OC the Ark was carried on the shoulders of the priests, but in the NC the Presence of God is carried in the hearts of men & women. No wonder Jesus said that where two or more are gathered in His name he would be in their midst. In the OC there was division of Jew & Gentile. In the NC there is One New Man in Christ. A "New Creation" in Christ. The Church. The people in Christ, the people of Christ. When Jesus looks upon the world He sees ONE Church; those who belong to Him. The measure changes when we look at a nation. It changes again when we look at a region. It changes again when we look at a city, a town, a neighborhood, a home. But the ingredients are the same. Jesus and His people. Once a month theRoots gathers in our home for "church". People ask me what time does it start. I tell them 10:00am because if anyone comes earlier you might find us all running around trying to get dressed! But once people arrive; "church" has begun. Do you see what I mean by church is not carried on the activity of people alone? Church is when two or more gather in His name; Jesus. When we intend to be with one another because of our relationship to Jesus and to one another; this is church. It may be carried out in being together, but it resides within us too; just as the Kingdom does. We bring food and drinks to the gathering so we aren't hungry and can hear what the Spirit has to say over our talking stomachs! But in the same way we each bring a food item that makes the meal a banquet, we too, when we gather, each bring a "spiritual" element to the table. Each of us has been given gifts. We bring them and use them for the good of others and the glory of God. The more we bring the more it looks like a banquet. We worship, pray, bring words of prophecy or testimony or teaching or encouragement. The measure varies with how many people show-up on any given gathering, but the ingredients are the same; Jesus and His people. Why am I going to such length to say all of this? My point? My point is I (we, the Crozier's) don't want to mislead anyone in any way shape or form in what Church looks like or could look like or where and how it happens. 954 Capri is not the only place theRoots comes alive. theRoots is like a zip-code, that's all. It's a name given to a group of people within a certain region in San Diego that have a relationship with God and each other and choose to intentionally be with one another in Christ. However that may look is entrusted to those in the relationship. But "the CHURCH" is the official name and designation of those people. The "CHURCH" of Jesus Christ is the PEOPLE of Jesus Christ. I would suggest that you each consider how to be & do church yourselves. Start with your family. Or start with a friend. Two or more remember? The ingredients are the same, the measure scales accordingly. Find a way to bring the "ingredients" together as best as you can. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you, lead you, empower you and anoint you. Whether you decide it is for prayer, Bible study, worship, serving, fasting, reading through a book together, sharing a meal together, going on vacation together, the beach, a short-term missions trip, it can be so many different ways and measures, because the ingredients remain the same; Jesus and His people. REDUCTION = FLAVOR When making a pasta sauce, a glaze or something of the sorts, you begin with a certain quantity of ingredients but then over time and with heat the ingredients are broken down to bring out all of their individual characteristics. Together, these bring an aroma and a flavor that apart from one-another could never exist. The same is with the Church. It seems that it always starts with a large amount of ingredients but over time and "heat" the reduction process begins and all the flavors begin to surface and mix together to create something unique and magnificent! All the while the "Head" Chef is carefully working and watching over the ingredients in the pan. I want to exhort you to "pour yourselves out" on His behalf. Come together with your family, brothers and sisters in Christ as often and in as many ways as possible. Let Him be Head over all of us and our activity together. We will find all the ingredients we need within one another and within Jesus Christ. In Christ Jesus, Tim Crozier